It wasn't that big of a shock Saturday night to see the Orlando Magic break out and get their first win of the season with a big offensive explosion against the visiting Sacramento Kings. What is interesting, however, is how much production is missing through three games from Orlando's defense -- and notably that of free-agent Mickael Pietrus -- entering its fourth outing tonight against Chicago. The Magic picked Pietrus this summer to be the team's go-to defender against some of the league's best talent.

Thursday's game between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics was special for Mickael Pietrus. Ray Allen's absence elevated Pietrus into the Celtics' starting lineup for the first time since Pietrus joined the team. Thursday also was Pietrus' first game at Amway Center since the Magic included him in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 18, 2010. Being back meant something to him. "I love it," he said. "That's a franchise I did a lot for, and they decided to trade me, and there was nothing I could do about it. But I'm very happy to be back and very happy to see my teammates from the Magic, Stan [Van Gundy]

With Courtney Lee's potential absence in a potential closeout game on Thursday, the Magic's shooting guards will have to do some fast adapting. "I couldn't see what happened," point guard Rafer Alston said. "I was taking off the other way looking to start a fast break and then all of a sudden he's out of the game." With Lee out, reserves Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick took over Lee's playing time, getting 29 and 30 minutes respectively. Neither shot particularly well, but Pietrus managed four points and Redick had six. For the series, Lee has nearly doubled up both in minutes, garnering 166 minutes in five playoff games compared to 93 and 41 for Pietrus and Redick.

Earl Clark participated in Saturday's practice and scrimmage - his first official workout since he signed a two-year deal Thursday believed to be worth just over $1 million per year. Clark made it known all along that his top choice in free agency was to return to Orlando. "I'm used to my teammates," Clark said. "I think it was a good fit here, and I like the organization. My family's here. I just love Orlando. " At 6 feet 10 but rail thin, Clark is a tweener.

SG Mickael Pietrus could miss as much as a month with a fractured right wrist. Pietrus said before Wednesday's game in Chicago that he could be out "two to four weeks," although he'll have a better idea when team doctors examine him. "It's really tough," Pietrus said. "Somebody in the locker room said we need to get that black cat away from me." Pietrus already had missed 10 games (Nov. 29-Dec. 18) after sustaining a torn ligament in his right thumb. He had been back for just four games when he fell hard after making a dunk on Monday night against the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Magic SG Mickael Pietrus said Saturday before the club faced the Denver Nuggets that he expects to get his cast removed on his right hand Monday. Pietrus has missed the past 10 games after sustaining a fractured wrist, his second major injury of the season. He said he had no idea when he would return to the court, but added, "I have no pain. I can move it and it feels fine." Pietrus missed 10 games after tearing a ligament in his right thumb in late November. He signed with the Magic as a free agent last summer, but has played just 20 games of Orlando's 41 games, starting 15. "I feel like my career in Orlando has not really started.

The names of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Joe Johnson were evoked after the Orlando Magic signed Mickael Pietrus last summer as a free agent. Oh, and Dwyane Wade's. Pietrus was the guy who was supposed to help stop a lot of the league's marquee shooting guards and small forwards who have torched Orlando. The Magic will face the Miami Heat tonight, but Pietrus won't start out defending Wade, the NBA's leading scorer. Even though Pietrus has the wingspan of a 7-footer, he can't reach Wade from the bench.

*Height/Weight: 6-6/215 *Position: SG *Key stats from 2007-08: Pietrus played with Golden State the previous five seasons. Last season, he averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in only 20 minutes per game in Don Nelson's unconventional system. He mostly came off the bench, making only 16 starts, as Monta Ellis emerged as a star 2-guard. *Role: Pietrus was brought in by the Magic as a free agent on the strength of his defense and athleticism. They hope he can slow some of the league's star shooting guards, who lit up Orlando.

This season has not been kind to Magic SG Mickael Pietrus on the injury front. Having already missed 26 games this season due to an assortment of injuries, Pietrus sat out his 27th game of 2008-09 Saturday with a sprained right knee. Pietrus' knee has been sore recently, though he's played through the pain, including 29 minutes in Friday's win over Cleveland. His status is day-to-day. Prior to this latest ailment, Pietrus was out three games with a sprained right wrist back in February.

MAITLAND -- If Orlando Magic fans shrugged when word came down that the first free-agent pickup of the offseason was Mickael Pietrus, they obviously haven't been paying attention to a trend sweeping the NBA. Since the NBA's defensive rules were tweaked before the 2001-02 season to bring back zones and eliminate hand-checking, two things have happened: The scoring has gone up and the need for the pure perimeter defensive stopper is greater than ever....

This isn't a measure of character. This is a measure of characters. This week, we're ranking the 10 biggest characters in the NBA today. What, exactly, do we mean when we call someone a "character"? In a word: distinctiveness. A player could be funny. He could be strange. He could be downright weird. All of these traits - either in combination or on their own - might qualify a player for inclusion on this list. Shaquille O' Neal, Rasheed Wallace, Jason Williams - all of them are characters.

Mickael Pietrus is confident he’ll lead his team to the championship and Kobe Bryant isn’t. What is going on in the NBA? We’ll explore that and more in today’s links. 1. Magic guard J.J. Redick is cooking right now, on and off the court , Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel The Buzz: JJ Redick has become one of Orlando’s most reliable players, and his willingness to admit his weaknesses is a big reason why. 2. Looming NBA lockout could cancel Orlando’s all-star game , Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel The Buzz: If there’s a lockout next year, the NBA could cancel the all-star game like it did in 1999.

The Orlando Magic had their first full practice with their new guys on Sunday. After beating the two best teams in the NBA in last week, can you imagine what this team can do once they’ve practiced together? Here are today’s links. 1. Time not on Dwight Howard’s side on free-throw line , Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel The Buzz: The last thing Dwight Howard needs is more distractions at the free throw line. 2. Magic arrive in Newark; blizzard unlikely to postpone game vs. Nets , Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel The Buzz: The Magic flew into New Jersey early to avoid the nasty blizzard in the Northeast.

DENVER — The Orlando Magic lost their top two wing defenders to injury at the worst possible time: just before the team faced superstar Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. SF Quentin Richardson missed the game because X-rays on his injured left elbow were inconclusive. Mickael Pietrus , who hurt his left knee in Orlando's previous game, was a late scratch from the rotation. "It's a good night to have two 3 men down, he and Quentin Richardson, because that's a weak spot for Denver," coach Stan Van Gundy joked before tipoff.

Orlando Magic forward Mickael Pietrus is shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range this season, the second-highest percentage on the team and the best of his career. On a team where myriad players have struggled with deep shooting – JJ Redick, Rashard Lewis, Quentin Richardson and Vince Carter are all shooting below their career three-point percentages – Pietrus’ consistency from the outside has been much-needed.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Mickael Pietrus joked the other night that he and teammate J.J. Redick are close. "Me and J.J., we're like brothers," Pietrus said then. "Even though I stay under the sun a little bit more than he does, we're like brothers. " Blogger extraordinaire Trey Kerby of The Basketball Jones drew some inspiration from that remark. Through the Magic of Photoshop, Kerby edited Pietrus' and Redick's faces onto a picture of two people in argyle sweaters . A reporter showed Pietrus that picture today.

Updating the Orlando Magic's next building phase this offseason: Mickael Pietrus is in the house, Keyon Dooling is out the door and J.J. Redick is . . . well, stranded on the stoop. The Magic expect to sign Pietrus today and introduce him at a 1:30 p.m. news conference. Pietrus did not arrive in Orlando as planned on Wednesday after agreeing to a four-year deal Tuesday. A five-year NBA veteran, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard from the French Caribbean island of Les Abymes, Guadeloupe, had flight problems.

The Orlando Magic have identified their starting shooting guard for next season and might be parting with J.J. Redick or Keith Bogans to acquire a point guard. The Magic expect to sign free agent Mickael Pietrus to a four-year contract worth about $25 million, the Sentinel has learned. Magic General Manager Otis Smith said on Tuesday that the signing of Pietrus will exhaust most of the team's midlevel exception. The exception can pay a player an average of about $6 million per season.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Orlando Magic officials put Dwight Howard and Mickael Pietrus on a plane home to Central Florida on Friday night to give the pair some rest from a nasty stomach bug that has ripped its way through the team. Howard and Pietrus did not play against the Detroit Pistons, and they will not play tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee. The hope is that they'll be able to play Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Center. Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick , who are also sick, remained with the team but did not dress for the game versus the Pistons.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Stan Van Gundy hoped a "miracle" would enable Dwight Howard to recover from a stomach virus in time for tonight's Orlando Magic game against the Detroit Pistons. Didn't happen. Howard and Mickael Pietrus will not play tonight or in Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks because of the illness, Van Gundy said minutes ago. Howard and Pietrus are going to fly home to Central Florida tonight and rest in an attempt to get better for Monday night's home game against the Atlanta Hawks.